13 Jul 2015

Lesoma is a small village in the Chobe district some fifteen kilometres south east of Kasane, and most of its inhabitants are Basarwa, Ndebele, Barotsi, Bananjwa and Basubiya tribes. 

The village is well known for its historic Lesoma Memorial Monument where 15 members of the Botswana Defence Force were killed by the then Rhodesian army during an ambush in the late 70s.

Most people who reside in Lesoma commute daily to Kasane and Kazungula for work, government services, and shopping, among other and errands as the place does not have facilities for such purposes, except for the two lodges which employ a small number of people.

The village has a population of approximately 1300 people and there are no supermarkets, post office and other important service providers which can only be accessed in Kasane and Kazungula.

The problem is that there is acute shortage of transport to and from the major centres such as Kasane and Kazungul, and, as a result, people spend long hours hitch hiking from the local hitch hiking spot.

Speaking in an interview, Ms Kebonyemang Montlenyane, a resident of Lesoma who normally hitch hikes at the bus stop said often she spends more than an hour waiting for transport as there is no reliable public transport.

Ms Montlenyane said they preferred private motor vehicles for transportation to their destinations because it is very difficult for them to walk to the main Nata-Kazungula road for easy access to vehicles from Pandamatenga because of wild animals which always roam around, mostly lions and elephants.

Ms Montlenyane also stated that there was once a registered minibus which transported people from Lesoma to Kazungula but the residents did not show interest in it because of the steep fare.

She commuters had no choice but to board even open trucks at the back just to make their journey.

“This poses a very serious danger to our lives and health, especially, when the weather is chilly in the early hours of winter mornings,” she said. 

Mr Mojaboswa Keletso, 32, used to drive the only minibus travelling from Lesoma to Kasane, and she said it was very difficult for transport operators to sustain their business on the route as people preferred private motor vehicles to public transport.

He said commuters complained about the fare which was charged from Lesoma to Kazungula which resulted in the minibus bus operator incurring huge losses. 

A senior transport officer at the Department of Road Transport and Safety in Kasane, Ms Lydia Thekiso clarified that the standard price officially charged was P4.80 for commuters from Lesoma to Kasane. 

Ms Thekiso stated that there were public transport permits issued along the route and the department would always educate commuters on the advantages and safety of public transport until there is a mutual understanding between commuters and transport operators. 

Despite transport challenges facing them, the residents of Lesoma village are optimistic that the commencement of the Kazungula Bridge project wereich a few kilometres away will bring positive developmental spinoffs such as employment creation for them. ENDS